Fullmetal Alchemist: Another Way
by Prophet Roast Inc
Summary: A different take on the Fullmetal Alchemist Series assuming the brothers lived in a more modern time. Period Fic Shot-
1. An Alley of Tears

"I can't say… well… I could… but that wouldn't be a very smart of me would it?"

The small young man spoke as the rain continued to fall over his pin striped suit. The black and white which made it up did his appearance true justice as his beauty was captured with each and every droplet of water. His hair had been tied in a ponytail, while his vest which covered his upper body seemed to grow dark due to the water it had absorbed. The white shirt which lay beneath it seemed to hide none of his physical features.

"You're going to have to make your choice Al…"

The young man pulled for one of his hands which had been resting in his pocket. The heavy sounds of the hand had been moving through his pocket for some time, and it was shown to be a thick and heavy gray tint to it. And as the hand began to emerge from his pocket, the visible image of the entire arm crafted of metal and wires was made visible. The pale white shirt had been drenched now, and the fingers which had now reached out for the image before him.

Within the streets stood a suit of armor stood still in the midst of rain. There was no movement, no warmth, and no life from the suit which had been sitting there in the midst of the rain. The plate armor, slowly began to move as the constant clanking and clattering began to emerge from the seemingly lifeless suit.

"And what is there for us brother…"

The suit began to advance forward, the slits which made up his eyes slowly began to filter in a thick amount of light. Two crimson pupils made themselves known through the rain as they advanced towards the image of his brother. He had found himself unable to stand in silence, and as he attempted to continue forward only to stumble forward falling to his knees in weakness.

"What is there for us to do…There's nothing left for us to do…Ed."

The suit had fallen to his knees grabbing a hold of his brother's metallic hand. The rain continued to beat against their bodies as the constant whimpering of each of them was heard through the alleys. Yet the tears that the shorter one began to shed were masked by the falling rain. While the suit of armor bore none of his own, yet the droplets which slowly began to overcome his helmet started to take own the form of tears.

"Don't worry… Just… Don't…"

The alleyway in which the two had been standing in slowly seemed to feel as though it was fading away from the world. The people seemed to walk past the small walk way which had been resting in between the two skyscrapers. The towering skyscrapers looked over the world as though without a care in the world. They housed countless number of men and women who wore their suits as though they were a badge of honor while looking down onto the rest of the world.

The streets rain wild with the constant beeping and sounds of the wheels of the streets began to crash through the puddles. The constant repetition that was born as each of the cars seemed to pass through the waters did nothing to the two as the world around him seem unparsed by the image of the brothers holding onto one another while tears ran down their face. They seemed so small in the grand scheme of things, and as the world continued to stand still the two simply held onto each other silent.


	2. The Day Before

The vivid scent of the morning seemed to linger in the area. The pale white sheets which had been ruffled due to the young man having recently awoken from them still seemed to bear some warmth. As he slowly began to reach over for the remote with a heavy yawn about him, the young man slowly began to flip through the buttons in an attempt to figure which one would properly assist him in his journey to find something on the television.

"I swear it should have been hear already…" He spoke through the thin strands of blonde hair which had begun to dance over his face. His small frame was residing in nothing but a pair of blue stripped boxers as the phone which had been resting on his desk started to ring. The silver cover which laid on its top seemed to cause for the vibrations of the phone to seem so much more vibrant then they really were, but whatever the case he noticed it all the same.

"Edward El.." he began to speak up, after having opened the phone with his metallic hand, all the while using the other one to flip through the channels on the television. He had been cut off prior to even having finished his introductions by a much more stern tone on the other end of the line.

"Yes, I'm fairly certain I know who this is… I mean I did just pay for your hotel, gave you the job, and handed you the phone directly anyways. But who cares about such small details." The smug voice cut through Edward's head like a hot knife through butter. The young man quickly flailed and lost his temperament at the very tone of the man.

"So… Lt. Mustang I see you're still attached to the short jokes just as much as you were about five weeks ago." He began to grip the remote in his hand, causing for the television to fall silent as he struck the mute button. "You know… five weeks. That's how long it's been since we've been detailed on any real info. Not to mention the days it's been since Al's been heard of." Ed began to start what seemed like a rant until the sharp tone of his Lieutenant seemed to shift to a much more serious slate.

"Turn to channel 42…If you're done with your little tantrum." Mustang spoke through the phone as Ed slowly input the numbers into the remote control. It had caused for the screen to flash quickly before having reached the proper place that he had ordered it to turn to.

"_And the threat of the Iron Creed Alchemist Is still at large…" _The news reporter began to speak forward, her voice still shaking slightly as the image on the television seemed so much heavier than anything that he had expected. The faint image of what could or would have been someone's ashes seemed to paint the image of an outline on the ground. Several officers in simplistic black uniforms were lingering over it with a solemn look upon their faces. There seemed to be an outline made of iron itself on the ground, as though someone had set forth a chalk outline of metal.

"_They say that the Iron Creed Alchemist is one of the biggest mysteries of this decade, and for the most part he is still at large. Like the previous victims however, the Iron Creed Alchemist managed to not only alter all the material within their body into a highly unstable iron composite. We can't really go into more details, but so far all we can say is whatever happened here. It's all up to the state's alchemist to deal with these…" _A heavy clicking was heard as Ed pressed down onto the power button with a heavy sense of guilt washing over him. Try as he might he couldn't help but feeling responsible for what he had seen on the television just moments ago.

"So I guess we have our window of sixty three hours now…" Ed spoke as he began to drop the remote control to his side before standing before the oversized mirror which attached itself onto the hotel's night stand. "Less actually… When the Iron Creed Alchemist makes his move it's been proven we get about Sixty Three Hours, yes. But that murder took place Four Hours ago… so you're going to have to settle for the Fifty Nine hours you have left."

"But Al…" Edward found himself speaking as he brushed aside the small strands of his hair which had been lying before his face. He had leaned over into the mirror, using one hand to brush at it, while the other carefully held onto the phone. "Alphonse is a big boy and he can take care of himself. Your job is to capture this killer. We sent you there five months ago just waiting for this moment and we don't have the luxury to wait another few and to allow another victim to show up. You have your orders Fullmetal." The voice died out over the phone and only a heavy dial tone was heard on the other end.

Edward's eyes grew heavy as he slowly allowed the tiny cellular device in his hand to drop down onto the stand. He slowly lifted his gaze up into the mirror which reflected his own image. The image of the blonde haired hazel eyed boy who wasn't even capable of settling himself on the task at hand. "Al… I hope you're ok." Ed found himself speaking as he slowly turned away from the mirror making his way towards the suit case which had been resting against the side of his bed.


	3. The Night It Happened: Enter the Iron

The night had been long and felt as though everything that could have been perfect between the two lovers had gone perfect between the two of them. They had gone to the high quality Don Rita's for a perfect Italian meal complete with a custom cut of Peach pie. The meal itself was quite a cost to pay for the two of them to spend such a fine evening together. For him, this was just a small drop in the bucket in an attempt to further their relationship. To her, this was a test, an investment if one would go about saying in their future in the same breathe.

Afterwards, they took a slight stroll around the park, perhaps the main focus of the beauty of this moment was the fact that each of them promised to cut off their cellular phones. They had their own lives to deal with in the morning, yet for now it would have been best if they simply ignored the outside world and spent time walking hand and hand with each other. Simply enjoying the atmosphere of the other rather then being worried about what business deals were falling through and who was on call for the day.

They had strolled all through the park for roughly six hours, each of them talking about what their dreams were and where they had come from in the world. The truth of the matter was that it had been a fairly simplistic night, an evening with no real noticeable features about it. For anyone else this would have been one of those nights that you remember for all the right reasons. Sadly, for these two lovers there wasn't anything of the sorts.

As the night seemed to grow heavy the two of them almost found themselves alone in the park, with slight chuckles and sly hints they both decided it was time for them to head home. She had been the one who hinted, while he had been the one who insisted that they both leave the night as they had. So in the end, it's unknown exactly who's to blame for what happened next.

Maybe it was the fact that he wanted to be the perfect gentleman so they left for home at that point in time. Or maybe it was her for being so straightforward with him in the first place. Perhaps the most noticeable thing would have been that the two of them ever met, if they had never gotten to know one another this could have all been avoided. But why would it? Or rather how could it?

As the two made their way over the bridge which connected the park towards the city as a whole, they noticed a single figure. Half of his head was shaved while the other side lay thick with heavy black braids. His face had been covered with a scarf around his mouth and chin area. His jacket was a dingy gray coloring, while his hands bore thick black gloves. His pants were rough and ragged, as were the black shoes that he wore on his feet. The only true noticeable feature about the man which gave off any type of light was his shining emerald shaded eyes which danced on his dark brown face.

"Tell me… do you two love each other?" The heavy and rough tone escaped from the scarf speaking towards the two people.

He felt her hands tighten around his arm, as she felt his arm flex as though trying to stand strong. "Yes… I would say that I'm in love with her… Now if you don't mind we must be on our way." He spoke in a straightforward tone as though trying to quicken their advancement.

They had moved past him, as she lowered her head trying to avoid looking onto the man. However, his voice seemed to carry on past them, causing both of them to freeze in their advancement. "You did not respond young lady… I think the man deserves a response." He spoke as he turned around to look on the two lovers who had been walking away.

"I don't think it's nice to pry into other peoples business." She spoke with a slightly held up tone as though trying to make it seem as though she was above speaking to such a person as this bum. However, in doing so the young man whom she had been with slowly felt a slight sense of confusion growing over him. His face twisted almost as though in pain from her words.

"So… you noticed it to. Did you?" The man advanced towards the two of them. She bore a look on her face which seemed as though she had been waiting for him to do something, while he was still almost frozen. "If she had felt the same way about you, her answer wouldn't have been so dry. It would have been clean cut and simplistic as was yours…"

"What you are seeing is the truth… the truth that you were willing to defend, fight, and even die for someone who doesn't even feel slightly the same way as you…" The man spoke as he moved until he was directly before the two of them, the young lady seemed terrified to the point that she was now attempting to walk backwards. While he simply stood there trembling.

"For such a fool who lives by a Creed such as an unrequited love as yours… You would best never have had to live through such a thing in the first place." As the man with the clothe over his face began to speak, he rose his hands up towards the chest of the young man. "So I grant you, this freedom."

As he placed his hands against the chest of the young man, the back of his gloves seemed to shine with a bright emerald light. On their backs shined the pentagram which appeared to be a broken triangle. His eyes seemed to also spring to life as his hands made contact with the mans chest.

The area where he had made contact with the man's chest seemed to be turning into a solidified metal. The young man was terrified as he tried to remove his shirt, only to notice that the flesh beneath it too had been transformed into what seemed like a form of iron.

"Do not worry, you are being allowed freedom in it's truest form…" The man with the scarf began to speak as he withdrew his hands to his side, the pentagram stood shining on the backs of them as he turned away from the man walking in the opposite direction.

Who was to blame though? Was it the man who had fallen in love with a woman who, now as he reached out for her, was nowhere to be found in the area as he stood turning into metal. As his bones and muscles seemed to stiffen making it impossible for him to even feel his blood flowing anymore.

Was it the woman who had tried to call the authorities, only to notice that the two made a promise to cut their phones off. And in the panic rather then trying to cut on her phone she took it upon herself to run away.

Or was it the man who punished them for something that wasn't their fault. The "Iron Creed Alchemist" Who was now taking his leave into the night, and wouldn't have his handy work noticed until tomorrow on the morning news.


	4. The Day Before: Where Al Was

Ed had been dialing his phone for some time, trying to understand exactly what was going on with the signal which seemed to separate him from his brother. The several buttons which would manage to disclose the location of his brother seemed to grow tired with the repetitive pressing of them time and time again.

"Come on Al…pick up…" Ed continued to speak as he quickly scooped up the wallet which had been resting on the desk. It was bearing the symbol of the state upon it, and a heavy brown coloring upon it. He had managed to finish dressing himself in a fine blue suit and vest combination, bearing a series of white pin stripes down them. Beneath it a fine white dress shirt which seemed to have been clean cut and designed to maintain his near perfect appearance.

However, even as he grabbed a hold of his heavy crimson shaded jacket which had been laying on the back of his chair. He couldn't help but feel a sense of confusion as he slowly started to enter in the numbers which were meant to connect him back to his brother. As he began to open the door to his hotel however, he suddenly began to hear a violent level of rumbling inside of the area. It was as though something had been vibrating against a heavy sheet of metal itself. It had caused for Ed to slowly stop in his tracks as he began to notice that his hand which had been used to carry the cell phone was still quite bare.

Almost without notice Ed quickly reached into his pocket and pulled for a white cotton glove, quickly attaching it over his mechanical hand as though trying to hide it from the rest of the world. The emblem and pentagram which resided on the back of his phone also seemed to rest on the back of his glove. Both were colored as though etched in a deep seated crimson red.

As Ed fasten his glove over his hand and quickly began to dial the number once again as he pressed onward through the doorway. He slowly began to hear the heavy vibrations once again. This time, as Ed slowly began to close the door to his hotel, he couldn't help but look around the hallway in an attempt to notice exactly where the vibrations had been coming from.

The painting of a rather dead looking garden hung directly before him. To his left sat a glass cabinet with almost no real beauty to it other then the glass dove carvings which had been resting within it. Yet as Ed began to turn to his left, he noticed that full plate armor was standing there. Still as can be, and looking forward as though lifeless.

"No…it can't be…" Ed found himself speaking as he slowly began to repeat the numbers that directly connected him to his brother's line. It was only to notice that a heavy series of vibrations began to go off from the suit directly beside him.

"Is it ok for me to move now?" The suit of armor managed to squeal out in a frail and child like voice. Almost causing for Ed to slip and fall over himself out of shock.

"AL!" he screamed as he almost froze in place, dropping his phone as he attempted to take in everything.

"Yes Big Brother…It's me." The suit began to speak as two spheres of red began to emerge from the sockets where his eyes should have been resting. A heavy series of clanking began to emerge through the hallways as he slowly began to reach down into his own body pulling for an identical phone to that of his brother's.

"Where have you been you big idiot!" Ed began to scream as he kicked the suit of armor, only to notice that he had managed to use the leg which lacked the mechanical enhancements. To his dismay he quickly began to grab a hold of his foot while in pain.

"I waited to get shipped in like you told me…" Al began to speak as he quickly began to fasten the cell phone onto the strap of clothe which resided around his waist and concealed his pelvic area. "And then when they shipped me and the papers said to send me to this room…they thought I was a gift _for _this room. So they placed me out here as a part of hallway's decorations. The only reason I didn't move was because I was afraid that the cameras might think I was a thief or something…" As Al began to slowly motion over towards his brother waiting for him to respond, Ed simply grabbed onto the arm of his brother pulling him in the general direction of the elevator's before hitting one of the buttons on them.

"Come on…I'll fill you in on everything on the way…" Ed began to speak as the two awaited for the elevator to come up to their floor.


End file.
